The Greater Victoria School District is seeking input to inform its 2020-2021 school year budget. As the District starts preparing its budget, it is collecting ideas to develop a budget that reflects the needs of its learning community and educational partners.
From January to April, the District will be providing opportunities to connect students, staff, administrators, Indigenous Nations, parents and guardians, along with members of the public, to provide input and learn more about resource allocation.
“Hearing from the community is an integral part of how we prioritize resources and initiatives to support our students in the classroom. We want to ensure all of our students are engaged and thriving and that we are setting them up to be successful life-long learners,” shared Board Chair Jordan Watters. “There is a lot that we need to take into consideration as we plot the best way forward for the District, and community input is central to the process. There are many important discussions our Board is having that require a financial commitment, including conversations around accessibility and inclusion, social and emotional wellness, climate change and sustainability—just to name a few. By listening to our community we can get a better sense of where we should be focusing our efforts in order to create the best possible learning community.”
The budget consultation process is launching with a ten-day online engagement. The District is using a new platform where participants can share their thoughts on budget priorities, view the ideas of others, and rate all ideas as they are posted in real-time.
Join the online discussion: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/scroll/505170349
*The online forum will close on February 5, 2020, at 4:00 p.m.
The District will also host facilitated table talk discussions, public meetings, and a student symposium to gather additional input.
Upcoming Budget Meetings:
- February 5th – Student Symposium
- February 10th – Operations Policy and Planning Meeting
- February 20th – Talking Tables Dinner Meeting
- March 2nd – Operations Policy and Planning Meeting
- April TBA – Special Budget Board Meeting
- April TBA – Special Budget Board Meeting – Approval
Annual budget development allows an understanding of current investment in areas of success for students: literacy, numeracy, health and well-being and the path to reconciliation, while at the same time identifying areas of opportunity and emerging need to advance student success.
In a complex organization, there are always compelling imperatives: climate emergency, diverse student passion and giftedness, growing enrolment, updated seismic ratings and aging infrastructure. Adding to the complexity, 2020-2021 will see a new funding model implemented in each school district in BC, as well as the District’s implementation of its catchment boundary review and renewed strategic plan.
The Greater Victoria School District is comprised of 47 schools that serve the communities of Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Victoria, View Royal, portions of Saanich and the Highlands, along with the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. It is proud to provide quality education for more than 20,000 students—including 1,000 international students from across the globe and over 650 adult learners.
To learn more about the District’s resource allocation, please review our Annual Budget Snapshot
